The present invention relates to a universal communication system for measurement instruments.
The present invention concerns the field of the networking of measurement instruments.
In the particular field of the metrology of aerosols and air quality, devices for measuring air quality and the presence of aerosols in the air are very widespread over urban areas. Thus, a very large number of measurement devices exist making it possible to measure numerous parameters relating to air quality and to the aerosols present, in order to determine in particular pollution levels and warning thresholds.
Large numbers of actors offer measurement devices incorporating sensors the technologies of which are varied and the communication protocols sometimes specific. Thus it is very difficult to gather together all of the data measured by these different measurement devices within one and the same computer network.
Solutions for interconnecting these measurement devices using computers equipped with communication cards, storage means and complex software incorporating all of the protocols for communication with said measurement devices are known. These solutions are called “fat client” as all of the software and communication protocols are incorporated on said computers which are connected to the measurement devices. It is thus necessary to associate each measurement instrument with a computer, and the communication software and protocols must be adapted to each measurement instrument.
The drawbacks associated with the current solutions are the high cost of the infrastructure required (each measurement instrument being associated with a computer), and a level of reliability limited by the hardware architecture. Furthermore, the addition of a new sensor that is not managed requires a local update on each station connected to the measurement devices. Finally, these solutions require a high level of maintenance, in particular because of the computer interface, the software architecture and the updating thereof.
In the wider fields of scientific instrumentation (measurements of water quality, levels of noise, traffic, odours, seismic measurements, meteorological measurements etc.) and the networking of measurement instruments which have been relocated and do not incorporate sufficient telecommunication means, the problems mentioned above remain valid.
A subject of the present invention is to respond at least in large part to the aforementioned problems and moreover to lead to other advantages.
Another purpose of the invention is to solve at least one of these problems by a novel communication system between measurement devices, in particular in the field of the metrology of aerosols and of air quality.
Another purpose of the present invention is to reduce the costs and the maintenance associated with the network architecture of such measurement devices.
Another purpose of the present invention is to improve the reliability of such a network architecture.
Another purpose of the invention is to improve the accessibility of the data measured by the measurement devices, and in particular those in the field of the metrology of aerosols and of air quality.